Cheapest LLC formation in South Carolina

What does South Carolina charge to form an LLC?

The state sets its own fees, and no provider can lower them. Package prices on this page are quoted before these charges.

Only one fee is unavoidable for a new LLC: $110 for the Articles. A provider filing for you pays the same state fee, and the state lists no separate fee for filing through SC Business Entities Online yourself.⁸

A name reservation is optional. It costs $25 and holds a name for a nonrenewable 120-day period, so it only earns its keep when something will hold up the filing for a while.⁹

An LLC formed in another state pays a different fee to register here. It files an Application for a Certificate of Authority to Transact Business, which costs $110, the same figure as the Articles for a new LLC. Forming elsewhere first therefore saves nothing on the South Carolina side.¹⁰

Two later charges are small but worth knowing before you choose a provider. Replacing your agent costs $10, and an LLC the state has dissolved can be reinstated for $25 if it applies within two years after administrative dissolution.^{11, 12}

What raises the cost of a South Carolina LLC?

Five things lift the bill above the Articles fee: the agent, compliance subscriptions, a provider's own rush handling, add-ons at checkout and, for some LLCs, the corporate License Fee.

The registered agent

This is the cost that comes back every year. You can cover it three ways.

1. Act as your own agent. The statute allows an individual resident of this State to serve, so a resident owner pays nothing. The trade-off is that your street address goes on the record and you need to be there to accept papers; the South Carolina registered agent guide covers the rules.²
2. Take a first year bundled with formation and accept the provider's renewal price afterwards.
3. Buy agent service on its own at a published standalone price.

If a renewal arrives at a price you don't like, moving costs $10 on the Notice of Change of Designated Office, Agent or Address of Registered Agent. File that before cancelling the old provider, and read the old provider's notice and refund terms first; the steps are in how to change a registered agent.¹¹

Compliance subscriptions

Some packages come with a yearly compliance plan built around annual reports. An LLC with the default tax treatment is not subject to the annual report or the License Fee, so such a plan has no state report to file. Some of these plans are free for a first year or a trial and then bill automatically; ZenBusiness's Starter, for example, carries Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr).^{5, 13}

Rush handling

The state facts we cite list no expedite fee from the Secretary of State. What providers sell is speed on their own side, such as ZenBusiness's Rush upgrade on Starter (+$79) or InCorp's own expedite fee ($50.00), with any state fee extra. Paying either doesn't tell you when the state will finish, so ask what the extra fee changes before you pay it.^{13, 14}

Add-ons at checkout

The EIN (federal tax ID), an operating agreement and a business address are each sold separately by some providers and bundled into higher tiers by others. Each is its own decision. The IRS issues EINs directly, and Northwest offers its operating agreement at no charge (Free template).¹⁵

Corporate tax treatment

An LLC that elects to be taxed as a corporation is treated differently. The Department of Revenue says "An LLC taxed as a corporation is not exempt." Such an LLC files the CL-1 Initial Annual Report with the Department and pays the corporate License Fee each year (minimum $25). That is a recurring cost the default LLC doesn't have.⁵

Unpaid fees and reinstatement

The state can dissolve an LLC that does not pay a fee, tax or penalty within 60 days after it is due. Reinstatement then costs $25 plus the time to apply, and the application must come within two years after administrative dissolution. Staying compliant in South Carolina covers what keeps an LLC in good standing.^{2, 12}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a South Carolina LLC?

The table lists each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest-priced formation package. Rows are in the order of our score, highest first, with ties in editorial order, not in price order.

Below is what each lowest-priced option adds to the $110 state fee in year one, and what keeps billing after that, in the same order.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees, and its description notes no annual compliance, operating agreement or branding tools. No agent is listed, so budget $199/year for one or act as your own; that is also the renewal. The plans above Lite bill every year. See the Tailor Brands review.^{16, 17}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on at +$199/yr, with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then $199/yr after. Starter also carries Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr); an LLC not taxed as a corporation has no South Carolina report for it to file, so note when the free year ends. See the ZenBusiness review.^{13, 18}

LegalZoom. Basic is $0 + state filing fees. Its agent is $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and its renewal wording reads "Renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change." Year two can therefore cost more than year one. See the LegalZoom review.^{19, 20}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee and includes the agent's first year, so year one can be the state fee alone. In year two the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee). Basic also includes a free first month of Bizee's virtual address, which then bills at $29/month if you keep it. See the Bizee review.^{6, 21}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent isn't in the package, and its quarterly price works out to $596/year, the highest yearly agent price in the table. Every plan also starts a 14-day free trial of ComplianceGuard, which then charges $199/year. See the Swyft Filings review.^{7, 22, 23}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and includes the agent, so the full plan price repeats each year, agent and all. For an owner who needs only the filing and an agent, that yearly plan price is the figure to compare. See the doola review.²⁴

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees. Its corporation page describes a total that includes one year of registered agent service; confirm that applies to an LLC order. Standalone, the agent is $125 per year. Its terms also say agent customers are automatically enrolled in Compliance Services (annual report filing), billed in annual auto-pay, so ask what that enrolment bills for an LLC that files no South Carolina report. See the Northwest review.^{25, 26, 27, 28}

Rocket Lawyer. Formation is tied to a membership, and Rocket Lawyer publishes no non-member price. Its page says "Your first one is FREE with a Rocket Lawyer membership!" Standard costs $149/year and doesn't cover the agent; the agent, at $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, needs Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year). Add membership and agent together to get the yearly figure. See the Rocket Lawyer review.^{29, 30, 31}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. Its terms allow renewal at the 'then current' fee. See the InCorp review.^{32, 33, 34}

Harbor Compliance. Formation starts at $99 plus state fees, and the agent is $99 first year (new customers), then $159 annually from the second year. Stopping that renewal takes notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{35, 36, 37}

Agent-only prices across every state are on the cheapest registered agent services page.